“Words matter.” That simple but resonant statement from travel journalist Elise Kirsten captured the heart of one of WTM Africa’s most engaging panel discussions, an hour-long conversation that explored how global media narratives are shaping perceptions of African destinations.

Moderated by Rashid Toefy, who has navigated Cape Town through multiple crises during his time in government, the session brought together voices from across tourism marketing and media to unpack how crisis headlines can influence traveller decision-making — sometimes unfairly or inaccurately.

Toefy opened with personal experience: arriving in public office just as Cape Town was grappling with its widely reported water crisis, followed by COVID-19 disruptions, energy shortages and ongoing geopolitical complications. “We seem to be lurching from one crisis to another,” he said. “But what each moment calls for is a carefully considered communications response.”

He posed a central question that set the tone for the discussion: “Is it accurate reporting we’re dealing with? Or is it more often sensationalism?”

Monica Iuel, Chief Marketing Officer at Wesgro (the destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and Western Cape), described how rapidly evolving digital platforms have changed what qualifies as ‘news’. “The thing we used to call news — front pages or national coverage — has changed completely,” she said. “Now it’s a tweet or TikTok video that goes viral.”

While this shift creates uncertainty in messaging control for DMOs like Wesgro, Iuel sees opportunity too. “You don’t just have this finite group of journalists anymore,” she said. “Suddenly you can become part of the narrative yourself.” She referenced recent campaigns such as With Love From The Locals and The Neverending Tourist, which aim to tell authentic stories through people living within destinations rather than relying on glossy brochures or distant commentators.

But she also pointed out an ongoing problem: generalisations about Africa based on isolated events anywhere on the continent continue to damage tourism prospects unfairly. “When something bad happens anywhere in Africa,” she noted, “suddenly nobody wants to come to Cape Town.” This tendency – where localised situations result in continent-wide caution – reflects what she called Afro-pessimism.

“It’s not just international markets who fall into this trap,” Iuel added candidly. “We often don’t expect much from ourselves either.”

Sue van Winsen brought insight from her role as acting editor at Tourism Update and Travel News South Africa — B2B publications catering primarily to tour operators and industry professionals. Unlike mainstream outlets under pressure to generate clicks quickly, her editorial team focuses on building long-term trust with readers who rely on them for decision-making guidance.

“Because we’re B2B,” Van Winsen explained, “we’re not chasing clicks… But there’s still pressure when you’re competing with citizen journalism or viral posts that go out before anything can be verified.” She cautioned against compromising credibility by rushing stories without proper checks: “You might get one click out of it—but if your reader feels duped? They’re not coming back.”

She advocated transparency over sensationalism: letting readers know when facts are still being gathered; showing multiple perspectives; reporting problems alongside creative solutions already emerging within affected communities.

Van Winsen used recent unrest in Mozambique as an example where nuance matters greatly depending on market positioning. For some beach lodges relying solely on fly-in guests far removed from areas experiencing tensions, business continued without disruption—yet international tour operators had different levels of risk tolerance depending on their clientele and logistics models.

“You’ve got people saying ‘it’s fine here’ because they want business continuity—but others might pause sales altogether depending who their clients are,” she said. Getting all those views into one story builds balance instead of skewing perception either way.

Visual storytelling plays an equally powerful role in shaping perceptions—a point photojournalist Elise Kirsten underscored by referencing BBC coverage during drought season near Victoria Falls several years ago titled Can Victoria Falls Run Dry?

“The image showed dry rock face but didn’t explain which part it was taken from,” Kirsten recalled — noting that only some sections dry up seasonally while others retain flow year-round depending on location and time of year. Local stakeholders pushed back using #VictoriaFallsNotDry alongside updated visuals showing far fuller conditions elsewhere along the falls’ length.

Kirsten encouraged photographers across Africa—and travellers themselves—to combat misinformation actively when they see it online: sharing grounded imagery; posting contextual explanations; showcasing both struggle and resilience side-by-side instead of defaulting automatically toward dramatic extremes.

“If you see something inaccurate? Respond… Comment… Post your own content showing what’s really happening,” she urged attendees near session close. “That kind of balance is essential if we want better stories told about where we live.”

For Nigerian publisher Omololu Olumuyiwa (Travelscope Magazine), reclaiming agency starts with African storytellers leading their own narratives—not waiting passively until global outlets offer airtime after crises arise abroad.

“When we write our own stories honestly—and publish them widely—we demystify places people think they understand but don’t really know,” he said plainly during Q&A time with attendees seated throughout WTM’s main hall theatre space.

He also stressed practical barriers local journalists face trying to respond quickly—such as visa delays between African nations—that make timely counter-narratives difficult without institutional support behind them.

“If there’s unrest 1 000 kilometres away from Vilanculos [Mozambique],” he noted wryly later during Q&A,“that shouldn’t mean Europeans cancel their trip.”

As Toefy wrapped up proceedings with reflections drawn both personally and professionally over years spent working between public policy and tourism recovery strategy alike—he offered simple advice:

“You don’t always need an immediate response every time something breaks… Sometimes things shift overnight anyway.”

Still—the message shared across all panellists was clear: long-term change requires consistent effort—from marketers creating space for local voices; editors investing in deeper sourcing; photographers capturing truth beyond tropes; governments enabling faster access; platforms curating smarter content—not louder noise alone.

Because ultimately?

Words matter.